Afghanistan's lapis lazuli is a "conflict mineral"?

Good day!

If you use lapis, you’ll be interested in this article:
http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/ep826z

Jeff Herman

30 years ago lapis purchases were supposedly helping the “freedom
fighters”, fighting against the Russians, We supported them. Now,
they are the enemy.

We started it, finished it, started it, finished it, started it…

They are still exactly the same.

This is all due to the US government and geological survey of the US
government In case you do not know this dealers who sold lapis
lazuli in the USA were approached to fill out a survey. We were
toldif we did not supply such about lapis lazuli we
would be subject to prosecution from the US Geological survey. This
study was ordered by the Department of Defense USA and given to the
US Geological survey to get answers for the Afghani government as
well Afghani dealers and miners, etc all at your taxpayers dollars
!!

What was asked were questions such as where we received our lapis
lazuli, how much rough or cut, how much we bought it for and also
selling prices. I was told pinpoint that failure to in fact give
answers or fill out the survey was a crime !!. I in fact as well
asother dealers felt no one should dictate to us who are our
suppliers, amounts of rough or cut we import or cut, prices for
rough orcut we buy at and what quantity and what we sell at.!! This
is private ! Because of it, our government supported
lapis lazuli prices to rise by giving this to the
Afghani government while betraying the American Gem trade dealers…
Everyone should go to their congressmen and senators to demand an
investigation on this matter

Please contact me at offline or ** Peru Blue Opal - Welcome **
Others in new York NY will verify what I am saying as they were
approached as well. to file this survey…

Lee Horowitz

I still have some “Treasury Grade” lapis that I bought 30 years ago
from some “Freedom Fighters” who were traveling through and selling
here in Portland. They were wearing traditional garb and carried
their goods in burlap sacks. My then husband had to do all of the
dealing while I waited in our back room as he bright the choices to
me for a decision. In the end we also ended up buying a chunk of
lovely Afghani hashish from them as well. It was big enough that it
lasted a year:-) One man’s terrorist is another’s freedom fighter.

Have fun and make lots of jewelry.

Jo Haemer
timothywgreen.com

30 years ago lapis purchases were supposedly helping the "freedom
fighters", fighting against the Russians, We supported them. Now,
they are the enemy. 

They are still exactly the same"

The Taliban is the same because their focus is on Afghanistan, but
nowdays when a member of the Taliban becomes disgruntled he joins
Isil where the focus is international.

Isil steals antiquities to sell, or destroys them. There is only the
Taliban standing between Isil and Lapis.

Hi Jo,

They were wearing traditional garb and carried their goods in
burlap sacks. My then husband had to do all of the dealing while I
waited in our back room as he bright the choices to me for a
decision. 

Misogyny still rules and I really couldn’t possibly comment on other
substances that might happen to be illegal.

All the best
Jen

Guess we all gotta make a judgement call on buying what might be
"conflict" minerals. I was buying top grade - deep, deep blue with
no pyrite - lapis out of Pakistan at a good price. I stopped because
I knew it had tobe coming from Afghanistan and supporting the
"other" side. I have bought rough from lots of “conflicted” locals.
that one just seemed a bit too close to home for me. I of course
purchased several kilos before my “morals” kicked in. so not sure
how moral or honorable that makes me. I’d smother my grandmother
with a pillow for some old stock gem silica:)

I just adore Gem Silica, too… I wear my 15 carat old stock gem
silica stone ring from 30 years ago 24 hours a day and lit gives me
so much pleasure, in every light. It’s set in heavy 23 KT Kruggerand
gold… yum.

I have one more perfectly clear piece from that rough, and it’s my
"secret precious treasure". Don’t even need to set it.

Mary Jane, Gemologist

I tried to access the link again that Jeff Herman had posted on June
6 (ganoksin.com/gnkurl/ep826z) but was unsucessful to use as a
resource for writing about an article for our gem & mineral club on
lapis lazulli. I then tried to access the Washinton Post archives and
to do a search. Nada.

All my attempts produced an error message. All I can guess is that
it has been removed by the Post for some reason. Im trying to keep my
paranoid & conspiracy thoughts in check as I wonder why its not
there. Who knows, maybe my computer search skills are simply rotten.

But my real reason is simply to ask you all if anyone copied the
article and saved it. I’d greatly appreciate if you could send it to
me. I didn’t get to fully read the article and now wish I had read it
a bit closer.

Peggy K.

I tried to access the link again that Jeff Herman had posted on
June 6 ..... Nada. All my attempts produced an error message.

You’ll get the same and more if you search on these
words: Afghanistan Lapis Taliban

Very odd that it has been removed. it may be that the in
the article was found to be faulty. You can Google “conflict lapis
lazuli” and a number of articles do come up, not all from sources I
would trust.

Beth Wicker

Type “lapis lazuli conflict” into Google. You’ll get several pages
of references.

Al Balmer

A half dozen years ago I bought about 3 tons of mine run lapis from
Pakistan, I’ve still got about 2 tons of it and I still love it. I
have a feeling though that it may eventually join my stash of wooly
mammoth ivory as cool stuff I can no longer sell. Ben

Thanks everyone who responded to my request. I did google and got
several additional references. I had just wanted the Washington Post
article as well. Now to finish writing the article…

Peggy

Please tell me where does one store two tons of lapis lazuli ?

Best, MA

Store it? In the garage of course, in 5 gallon buckets! Ben

Love to see these buckets in the garage! Hard to visualize this
quantity.

den